The Black Jokers: The Second Generation
by SupernaturalAngel
Summary: Tells the story of Sirius Black's and his Bulgarian girlfriend's twin girls and their years at Hogwarts. THe girls learn that their father is in prison at school. Will they forgive him? NOT TYPICAL DAUGHTER(S) FIC!
1. The Twins and The Letters

  
WARNING! If you have not read The Black Jokers: The First Generation, I highly recommend you click on my name (above) and read it. It explains who everyone is and why things are the way they are. I changed it from Adriana's POV to the third person perspective.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Hello everybody! Okay, this is the second part to my Black Jokers story. This is about the twins. They are eleven in this chapter, which takes place during the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Sophia and Vieara live in the outskirts of the Bulgarian city Rousse (that's where I'm from!) on the Danube River. All conversation between the twins and their mother is in Bulgarian, okay? The rest, to everyone else, its in English. Please tell your favorite authors about this story if you like it, and ask them to review. If I don't get at least, like, between ten to fifteen reviews, I don't know if I'll continue. To everyone who reviewed the first part: I LUV YA FOR IT! J   
  
Okay, since I can't use italics in this stupid text formattingL (someone tell me how to format it in html please?!) I will use *this* to show that the words between the stars should be italicized. Characters' thoughts for example will be placed between stars, to show that they are thoughts. Got it? Good!   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Mom!" A girl with thick wavy chocolate brown hair yelled in Bulgarian. Her hazel eyes, now lighter than usual, wide open.   
  
"What?" A woman with the same colored hair, except that hers was straight, turned and looked at her daughter.  
  
"There's an owl outside the window. I think it's foreign."  
  
The woman nodded, turned to the window, opened it, and grabbed the brown owl. To its leg were tied three parchment letters.   
  
Miss Adriana Ivanova  
  
Miss Sophia Black  
  
Miss Vieara Black  
  
  
The woman's hands shook as she opened the letter with her name on it.  
  
  
  
  
Miss Ivanova, it read,  
  
  
  
I am pleased to inform you that your daughters have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While your local school is Rosalind, we have made an exception and decided that the best school for the girls is Hogwarts, considering all the circumstances. Professor Dumbledore wants me to add that he thinks that your kids will enjoy it very much here. Please consider our offer carefully.  
  
  
Deputy Headmistress,  
  
Minerva McGonagall  
  
  
  
PS Harry Potter is currently attending the school and will begin his second year on the first of September.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Tears filled the woman's brown eyes and she turned to hide them from her excited eleven year old daughters. They had already read their standard first year letters and booklists.   
  
"Why does it say Sophia Black on my envelope?" Sophia asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, it's just a mistake." Her mother answered in what she hoped was a confident voice.  
  
"When can we buy our school supplies Mom?" Vieara asked jumping in place.  
  
"Um, well, how about next week?" She hoped her voice didn't shake too much.  
  
The identical hazel eyes wore identical expressions: of disappointment.   
  
"But why can't we go tomorrow?" Sophia asked, her voice as filled with disappointment as her eyes.   
  
"I'm busy tomorrow. I don't stay home like you two all day." Her voice was harsher than she expected. The girls looked at each other in surprise. Her voice only became harsh when they asked her questions about their father.   
  
"O . . . Okay." They whispered softly in unison and fled outside.   
  
They swiftly climbed on their favorite apple tree and chewed thoughtfully on the not-yet-ripe fruit. It was actually quite sour, but they didn't mind.   
  
"But why aren't we going to Rosalind like everyone else we know? Do you know where this school is anyway?" Vieara asked her sister. Her sister always seemed to know everything that could be found in a book.  
  
"I think it's in England." Sophia answered, chewing thoughtfully. Vieara waited patiently for her to continue. She knew that Sophia would give her a lot more information, if she didn't interrupt. "Um, the Headmaster's name is Albus Dumbledore, and the infamous Harry Potter is a student there. It is believed to be the largest magical school in Europe. And they have a huge Forbidden Forest filled with all kinds of interesting creatures surrounding it."  
  
Vieara swallowed before replying. "Do you think that's where our father went to school?"  
  
Sophia munched thoughtfully. "Probably."  
  
"I hope we can at least find out his name! Why do you think Mom always gets so upset when we ask her about him?"  
  
Sophia shrugged and jumped off the tree. "Let's go get Alex and go swim in the river."  
  
"You know you shouldn't swim after eating!" Vieara teased and jumped out of the tree.  
  
Sophia laughed. "Race you!" And darted across the street to their neighbor's door. Vieara took off but Sophia had too much of a head start. Alex had already answered the door and was asking permission when she arrived on the steps. She put her hands on her knees and stared at the breathtaking view of the forest covered canyon in front of her. *Thank god we don't live in the city!*  
  
"Hello? Vieara?" Sophia tugged on her sister's tank top. "Let's go." Vieara snapped out of her daydreams and sprinted down the hill towards the murky river which ran through the bottom of the cave sprinkled canyon. "Race you!"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A week later, they arrive by Floo powder at Diagon Alley. Adriana flinched inwardly at the sight of the familiar buildings. The buildings she had come to know like the back of her own hand during the summer of her pregnancy. The twins sprinted from store window to store window, yelping excitedly like tiny puppies.   
  
Adriana breathed slowly until she felt like she had at least some of her emotions reined. She tried not to show the pain she felt, at least for the twins' sake.   
  
But the girls could see that their mother wasn't as happy as she should have been. But they didn't push their luck, for fear of another outburst.  
  
When everything on their school lists was in their shopping bags, they looked at their mother, expecting to go home. But she felt guilty about not being as excited as she should have been and tried to make it up to them.  
  
"How about you two each pick out a pet from the Menagerie?" She asked, even though they weren't the richest family. School things cost a lot of money. But she was very guilty.  
  
"Really?" Vieara jumped, even though she was as exhausted as her mother.   
  
"Cool!" Sophia exclaimed.  
  
They entered the store and walked around for more than half an hour, looking carefully into every single cage.   
  
"If you don't pick something out in two minutes, we're going home empty handed!" Adriana warned.  
  
In the end, Vieara picked out a frisky male golden retriever puppy and Sophia a female silver-gray kitten.   
  
Sophia stared at her new pet. Then she looked at her sister's. "You know, we should name them Apollo . . ."  
  
"and Artemis." Vieara grinned. "Gold and silver. Male and female. God of knowledge and Goddess . . ."  
  
"of hunt! And twins like us!" Sophia finished up. They both stared at each other, happily grinning. The world was perfect at that particular moment for them. They had new pets, brand new school supplies and were going to start their first year at what was probably their father's old school. Their world was rosy as the sunset . . .   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
On September first, they traveled to London by Floo powder again. This time to King's Cross. And to Platform 9 and ¾.   
  
The two girls were so excited, they couldn't keep still for more than two seconds at a time. As soon as they crossed the barrier, they loaded their trunks on the train and quickly said good bye to their mother.   
  
"Now, be good girls. Escpecially you Vieara, you hear?" Vieara nodded angelically, but their was a mischievous glint in her eye. "Um, study hard and tell me write about every boy you meet!" They all laughed and Adriana hugged her daughters. Oh god . . . I see so much of Sirius in them . . .Her eyes welled up with tears. She wiped them, glad that the twins had already boarded the train.   
  
"Are you letting them go for the first time?" Asked a pleasant red headed woman. Adriana nodded. The woman continued. "I have seven and trust me it doesn't get much easier. This is my last one. And my only girl."  
  
She pointed to a red headed little girl who was trailing after a girl with thick brown hair.   
  
"I'm Molly Weasley. That's my daughter Ginny, and one of my son Ron's best friends: Hermione Granger." She looked around, eyes searching the crowds of kids. " my son and his other best friend, Harry Potter, seem to have vanished." She told Adriana. The young mother gasped. Lily and James' son!  
  
Molly Weasley grinned. "Yup. He's THE Harry Potter. Real nice boy. But those Muggles he's living with, humph, trash! They treat like he's got some fatal contagious disease! Horrible to him! Poor boy."  
  
Adriana struggled with all her might not to change the impression on her face. She succeeded, to some degree, but not fully. A few tears slid down her cheek. She wiped them quickly.  
  
"I have twins. Vieara and Sophia over there. I'm worried about them. I hope they don't get into too much mischief. Escpecially Vieara. She plays jokes on everyone who crosses her path. Muggles too! Sophia's quieter, but Vieara drags her into the schemes too." Adriana explained.  
  
"Really? Twins? I have twins too. Boys, third year. Identical to the last freckle. Worst troublemakers I've seen since James Potter and Sirius Black. Hope yours and mine don't meet. They'd probably blow the school up."  
  
Adriana forced herself to laugh, then quickly said good bye and left. *This is what I was afraid of; I'm being reminded of him every single second.*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
On the train, the twins were busy trying to find an empty compartment. No such luck. Almost every single one was filled. At last, they found two seats near the back.   
  
"I think they're first years too." Sophia said to Vieara in Bulgarian. Vieara nodded and took a seat next to a pretty white-blond girl.   
  
"Foreigners!" The girl whispered loudly, so that everyone within two meters could hear.  
  
"Do you have a problem with that?" Vieara asked, standing back up. All in perfect English, no accent whatsoever. She mentally made a note to thank her mother for speaking to them in English half of the time.  
  
The blond girl stood up too. "I am *Narcissa Malfoy* and don't you dare give me attitude!" Her icy blue eyes flashed dangerously. If Vieara lived in England and knew of the Malfoys, there was a slim chance that she might have sat down. But she didn't know. And she wasn't frightened at all.   
  
"So what? And I am *Sophia Ivanova*." Sophia jumped in, glaring just as dangerously at the stranger as her sister.  
  
"And I'm supposed to cared because . . ." Vieara said at the same time, in a bored voice. If she could do one thing properly, it was annoy people. She seemed to know everyone's buttons (and wasn't afraid to push them) as soon as she met a person.  
  
Narcissa was surprised not to have her name recognized. *These foreigners sure are stupid,* she thought, *they don't know who they're messing with.* "Why, my *second year* brother is *right next door*."  
  
"So you're saying, basically, that you can't even fight your own battles. Not that I consider this a battle. You can't even fight properly." Sophia retorted. Vieara might be the schemer, but Sophia was quicker to think up comebacks.  
  
Narcissa was mute from surprise. She stared at the twins, who were now gathering their luggage and preparing to move it to the next cart, openmouthed. At that precise moment Draco Malfoy walked in from the other door.  
  
Vieara turned, seeing that he looked like a male copy of Narcissa. "You better teach your sister manners. She doesn't seem to know how to greet foreigners. Or fight her own battles either!"   
  
The older Malfoy was as surprised as the younger one, and didn't think of a reply until the twins were well into the next compartment.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
The twins finally found two empty seats in a compartment with . . . another pair of identical twins! Older boys.   
  
"Hi!" The girls said in unison.  
  
The redheaded boys looked up from the piece of paper they were scribbling on to catch sight of the other pair of twins.  
  
"Wow cool. You're twins too. I'm George Weasley, and this is my brother Fred." One of them said, grinning widely.  
  
"Hey! You forgot to introduce me! I'm their sister Ginny. Are you in your first year too?"  
  
"Hi. I'm Sophia Ivanova and . . ."  
  
"I'm Vieara Ivanova. And it's our . . ."   
  
" first year at Hogwarts too!"  
  
"Hey what have you got there? Are you trying to improve the Fillbister Firecrackers? You should try adding a Dung Bomb at the end. It spreads the smell twice as far." Vieara took a seat next to Fred and pulled both objects out to demonstrate.   
  
Fred looked at George and said in an exaggerated disappointed tone. "I believe we are no longer Hogwarts' only twin terrorists."  
  
  
  
  
  
Bonus points to the person who can tell me what the twin's names mean (and Narcissa's too) 


	2. Sortment

AN: Okay Okay this chapter is short! I admit it. But if you give me enough reviews, I'll give you the next part sooner than planned. Originally chapters 2 and 3 were supposed to be one chapter, but it seemed better if I stopped where I did. I'm not going to tell you anything about the next chapter, except the title. That should tell you just about everything; Daddy Dearest. It will be up soon. I'm aiming for 22 reviews. Come on, you can do it!  
  
  
  
A few hours later, the train arrived at Hogwarts. The two pairs of twins separated unwillingly. They had planned to improve mischief aiding charms and potions to their personal use. Vieara was the one talking to Fred and George. Sophia talked mostly to Ginny. Once in a while, however, she would stick her head into the other conversation and offer improvements.  
  
"Wow!" Vieara whispered, awestruck. Her eyes wide at the sight of the enormous castle.   
  
"Firs' ears this way!" A huge man yelled and pointed to the rows of boats. Vieara and Sophia sat in one of the boats. A black haired girl sat across from them. She had pretty turquoise eyes and pale skin. Next to her sat a boy with tanned skin and sun bleached blond hair and honey brown eyes.  
  
"Hullo!" They said.  
  
"Hullo," The twins greeted them. "I'm Sophia and this is my sister Vieara."  
  
"I'm Leah. But call me Lee, okay?"   
  
"I'm Angel."  
  
"Which House do you want to be in?" Angel asked. "I want to be in Gryffindor!"   
  
"Ravenclaw or Gryffindor." Kally said.  
  
"Houses?" The twins asked in unison.  
  
"You don't know about the Houses?" Angel gaped at them.  
  
They shrugged. "We're from Bulgaria. We don't know much about Hogwarts."   
  
By the time Angel explained the concept of the Houses, they had arrived at the huge wooden doors. Then they were led into a huge room with a ceiling identical to the sky outside.  
  
"This is the Great Hall." Angel whispered.  
  
A very severe looking teacher placed an old hat on a three legged stool. "Aster, Calliope."  
  
A very frightened pigtailed girl stepped forward. She slowly sat on the stool and pulled the hat on. It almost instantly shouted:  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!" One of the tables applauded wildly.  
  
"Aucoder, Christopher."  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Black, Sophia."  
  
"Not again, they got my name wrong again!" Sophia muttered, stepping up to the stool. She carefully placed the frayed hat on her head, and instantly heard a squeaky voice.  
  
"Hum … smart, hardworking, talented. Ravenclaw might be good for you. Maybe Hufflepuff. Ah, but I put both of your parents in Gryffindor." Sophia gasped. Her mom had gone to school here too? "I think you'll do good there too, so I guess it will be . . .  
  
GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Black, Vieara."   
  
Vieara was already sitting on the stool and had placed the hat on her head. *You better put me in with my sister or I'll cut you up in pieces!*  
  
"Not too friendly, I see! Fiercely proud, smart, mischievous. You are a smaller copy of your father. Hope you don't turn out like him though. But yes, it will suit you fine that . . .  
  
GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
"Creevey, Colin."  
  
Another Gryffindor.  
  
Vieara's eyes were quite wide when she sat between Fred and Sophia. "It said I'm a smaller copy of our father!" she whispered to her sister.  
  
Sophia answered, " It said that both of our parents were in Gryffindor!"  
  
"Hey, I thought you last name was Ivanova!" Fred interrupted.   
  
"It is." Sophia confirmed absentmindedly. "They made a mistake. Again!"  
  
She looked at the hat which now sat on Narcissa Malfoy's head. It barely touched her head before it announced her a Slytherin.   
  
"Mersion, Leah."  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
The girls saw Lee hand the hat over to Angel.  
  
"Morris, Angel."  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
The twins cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors. Angel saw them and sat down across from Vieara. He had a wide toothy smile on his face and his chest stuck out proudly.  
  
"It barely touched my head when it said that I should be in Gryffindor. Actually, it said, the only place that suits you is . . . and then it shouted Gryffindor."  
  
Meanwhile, the hat had just announced Ginny Weasley a Gryffindor too. She sat next to Angel, across from Sophia.  
  
She sighed with relief. "Thank goodness I'm in Gryffindor. My whole family has been in here!" Fred and George congratulated all of the new first years heartily, but were interrupted by Professor Dumbledore.   
  
The twins stared at the old man, not hearing a word he said. He looked delicate with age, his long white hair reaching past his waist, but his eyes . . . There was something about his eyes. They sparkled like a toddler's. So this was the great wizard Albus Dumbledore.  
  
He finished his speech, waved his hand and suddenly the tables were set and piled high with delicacies. Everyone dug in eagerly and the conversation died instantly.  
  
Almost an hour later, the prefects lead their houses into the dormitories. Sophia and Vieara stumbled and yawned their way through the portrait hole.  
  
"Remember the password. Higgleboo." The twins giggled at the password and tried to tuck it into a corner of their tired minds as they stumbled up to the girls' dorms. They changed into pajamas with eyelids half closed and tumbled into their beds.   
  
I have to go to Dumbledore and correct our names . . .   
  
It was Sophia's last thought before sleep had settled within her body completely.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: I was truly obsessed with finding the perfect names for the twins, and I think I did pretty good, thankyouverymuch! Let me explain now:  
  
  
Vieara : Faith in Bulgarian  
  
Audacia: Comes from the Latin word audacis meaning bold (the English word audacious (courageous, bold), also means the same as its Latin origin)  
  
Marauda: from Marauder which means troublemaker  
  
Black: this is pretty obvious: her dad's last name which also means the color black  
  
  
  
  
Sophia: wise, and I also named her after Sofia, Bulgaria's capital city  
  
Artemisa: from Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon and hunt who bore many names and refused to let men lay eyes upon her. She was Apollo's twin sister. Skillful.  
  
Pandora: Who doesn't know the Greek myth about Pandora? She was created out of clay and given gifts from all of the gods. Her name means All-Gifted in Greek.  
  
Black: I explained already.  
  
  
  
Basically, Faithful Bold Troublemaker and Wise Skillful (Multifarious, too! It means with many names and personalities, ) and All-Gifted! Maybe I should have named them Phoebe and Melanie: In Greek, Phoebe means light, Melanie dark. Sophia would have been Phoebe, Vieara Melanie. But I found those names too late! They are Vieara Audacia Marauda and Sophia Artemisa Pandora Black.   
  
  
  
Oh yeah! I forgot to explain about Draco's sis! Well, here I am watching TV and sifting through the pages of The Greek Gods (by Evslin, Evslin, and Hoopes) during commercials when I stumble upon Greek roots of English words. I am trying to find the perfect names for the twins when a sentence catches my eye; The word narcissist is a psychological term meaning a person who loves himself. Jackpot! Isn't that perfect for Draco Malfoy? But he already has a perfectly good name. So do I let that perfect name go to waste? Nooooo! I create a equally snobby sister for my story! And that was how Narcissa Malfoy was born.  
  
  



	3. Daddy Dearest

Author's Note: It's been long since I last posted, hasn't it? Well, for those of you who like the story, I have bad news. I have been diagnosed with a severe case of writer's block. I am truly sorry, but I do think that the symptoms should disappear in six to eight weeks. 'Til then, Ta ta!  
  
  
"Excuse me, Professor?" Vieara tugged softly at Dumbledore's robes. He turned.  
  
"Yes? Miss Black is it?"   
  
"No actually, it's not. I want to correct it. You seem to have made a mistake when it comes to Sophia's and my names. See, our last name is Ivanova."  
  
His eyes clouded for a second. When he spoke, it was in a very soft voice. "Can you two please come into my office and I'll try to explain everything?"  
  
Vieara shrugged, then nodded and pulled Sophia's elbow. They followed Dumbledore to a gargoyle.  
  
"Fizzing Whizbee." He said. The statue jumped aside, revealing a corridor. They followed the professor into his office and sat down in the two chairs which faced his desk.  
  
"Did your mother ever tell you who your father is?"  
  
They shook their heads solemnly.  
  
"His name is Sirius Black." He waited for some sort of reaction. But the girls sat still as statues, waiting to hear more.  
  
*Wow, they don't know about the murders . . .*  
  
"they went to Hogwarts together, your parents. Your mother transferred here in her fourth year from Rosalind. They were the biggest troublemakers I'd seen! Inseparable. Except when they fought. Thankfully, it wasn't often, but when they did, she ended up with green hair and cat ears, he with a pig snout and tail."  
  
The twins laughed. Why didn't I think of a pig snout? Vieara thought. It would go well with Narcissa's blue eyes.  
  
"Anyway, you mother got pregnant with you in their seventh year. Your parents' best friends, Lily and James Potter were expecting a baby too. He was born in July and named Harry Potter."  
  
The girls gasped.  
  
"But Voldemort was after him and after you two. There was a prophecy that said that the Potter baby or the Black babies would kill him once and for all. So he tried to kill the three of you before you could kill him.  
  
"Harry was first on his list, I suppose. You two weren't born yet when Voldemort attacked the Potters and met his downfall in Harry. Well, that night, your father killed thirteen people when he blew up a street with his wand. He had betrayed Harry's parents."  
  
The girls stared at him, confused.  
  
"But how did he betray them?"  
  
"Why did he blow up the street?"  
  
"Well, after the Potters found out that Voldemort was after them, they wanted to have the Fidelius Charm performed. It would hide them completely. The secret of their whereabouts would be placed inside of one person. Unless that person told Voldemort where they were, he could stare at them without actually seeing them."  
  
Vieara began to nod slowly. "And our father was that person for them."  
  
"Secret Keeper. The person is called a Secret Keeper. Yes. He was. And they were attacked less then a day after the spell was finished."  
  
"He told." Sophia said numbly.  
  
"I'm sure your mother only tried to protect you. But I believe that you have a right to know who your father is. But who he was does not change who you are."  
  
"It said I was a smaller copy of him."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"The hat. The Sorting Hat." Vieara stared at him without seeing.  
  
"But he wasn't only a traitor. He was smart too."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"So my name is Sophia Black?"  
  
"You names are Sophia Artemisa Pandora Black and Vieara Audacia Marauda Black."  
  
"so, we have to change our names?" Sophia asked.  
  
"Well, you don't have to. You could if you wanted to."  
  
"No thanks." Vieara said, eyes still wide with disbelief.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "But I have something from your father. For you two."  
  
They looked at him curiously. He went to a large cabinet and pulled out a package. It was addressed: To my daughters, from Sirius Black.  
  
Sophia took it, thanked Dumbledore and herded her sister out of the office. They silently went up to their dormitory and into their room. They still had twenty minutes of breakfast left before their first class of the day.   
  
"You open it." Vieara muttered.  
  
Sophia untied the string and unwrapped the package. It contained three books and a notebook. She gazed at the covers. A Nursery of Fairy Tales, The Pantheon: An Idiot's Guide to Mythology, Troublemakers Throughout the Ages, and a plain old black notebook with a few pages torn out. She opened the notebook first, expecting a journal or some sort of diary. Instead, Writing appeared on the first page.  
  
  
  
  
  
The Infamous Marauder Sirius Black (aka Padfoot)  
Presents  
  
  
Double Trouble:   
(A pair of twins') complete guide to breaking rules.  
  
  
Sophia grinned and showed it to Vieara. Even she couldn't help but smile a little. They turned the page.   
  
  
  
  
Introduction: My name is Sirius Black. (I think my middle name is trouble, I'm not sure.) You are my twin daughters. I don't know what we're going to name you two yet. But Voldemort is after our family. And he might kill me before you get a chance to know me. So I created this guide for you. When you need advice use the back of the notebook, the blank pages, to write down your question and I will answer them. I guess I'm dead if you're reading this, but I want you to know about my years at Hogwarts and with your mother. I hope you two know about them from your mom, but …. I want to tell it my way.   
  
  
Sophia flipped the page.  
  
  
  
  
Table of Contents  
  
  
Part I: My Life  
  
Chapter 1 Before Hogwarts  
  
Chapter 2 First Year  
  
Chapter 3 Second Year  
  
Chapter 4 Third year: Remus' Secret  
  
Chapter 5 Fourth Year: your Mommy!  
  
Chapter 6 Fifth Year: Animagi  
  
Chapter 7 Sixth Year: Black Jokers  
  
Chapter 8 Seventh Year: You! (Are you old enough for this?)  
  
Chapter 9 Diagon Alley  
  
Chapter 10 The fight!!!  
  
  
Part II: The Guide  
  
Chapter 1 Tools of the Trade  
  
Chapter 2 Sneaking Out  
  
Chapter 3 Mischief Aiding Spells and Charms  
  
Chapter 4 Hogwarts and its Grounds  
  
Chapter 5 Good Cover Ups and Excuses  
  
  
  
  
Sophia turned the page again. By now, Vieara was fascinated and looked over her shoulder. But the page was blank. Come to think of it, it didn't say any page numbers in the table of contents. Vieara looked puzzled. She stared at the notebook.  
  
Sophia gasped suddenly. "Oh my, it's two minutes until Potions!" They hurried off and followed the rest of the Gryffindors to the dungeons. They sat down next to each other while the teacher ignored the class completely. When the hand of the clock turned to nine, he stood.  
  
"This is Potion, one of the most practical and hardest areas of magic. With the right potions, you can change your appearance, kill, poison, or heal. There will be no fooling around in this class! Understand? I warned you!"  
  
The class nodded silently, a bit frightened.  
  
"Aster, Calliope?"   
  
The pigtailed girl raised her hand slowly. Her murky brownish green eyes looked wide with fear.  
  
"Black, Sophia?" His eyes glittered with hatred.   
  
She raised her hand.  
  
"Black, Vieara?" His face showed pure loathing. "My my! Two of you."  
  
  
  
NOW REVIEW! I LUV CRITICISM! LOL 


	4. Thalia

A/N: Hey everyone! LOng time no write!LOL. I dont even know if that makes sense. Well, I still have writers block concerning Sophia and Vieara, so in you have ANY ideas, please email me and you could even help me write them! (if you'd like, that is!) Please help me, and especially the story, in any way you can. We both need all the help we can get.  
Luv ya'll! Hugs'n kisses! :)  
  
  
  
That Potions class was as bad as bad can get. Snape picked on them when they didn't know the answers, and made fun of them when they made a mistake. On the other hand, he treated the Slytherins, who they were taking classes with, quite differently. He especially seemed to favor Narcissa Malfoy.  
  
  
  
Dumbledore raised his wand, which emitted a spray of purple sparks, from his position on the High Table on the first of October.  
  
"I would like to introduce you all to Thalia Bronsworth. She is a new student, a first year, who arrived today due to some unfortunate circumstances. I'd like all of you to welcome her, the Hogwarts way. She has been sorted, and will join the Gryffindor table." He pointed to a girl who was standing near Professor McGonagall. Every single student in the Great Hall, even the Slytherins, stared.   
  
She was beautiful. Tiny, skinny and short, with masses of thick, tight curls. They flowed down, pale blond, past her shoulders and to the middle of her back. She had sprinkled glitter on them, and whenever she moved they seemed alive and sparkling. Her eyes were sapphire blue, her skin bronzed slightly by the sun.  
  
But it wasn't just her beauty. She seemed to glow, somehow. Her face wasn't doll-like, it was warm and friendly (and a bit nervous, at the moment). The Great Hall burst into applause. All the boys began whispering to each other and tried to catch Thalia's eye. There was only one person who seemed to be less than thrilled. Narcissa Malfoy.  
  
Vieara spotted the look on Narcissa's face and nudged Sophia. They laughed. The young Malfoy seemed to loath the girl who had just ruined her reputation as the prettiest first year.  
  
"May I sit here? A thin voice snapped the twins out of their laughter. They glanced up to see the new girl.  
  
"Sure." Sophia nodded and Thalia sat next to her. Sophia noticed that she was wearing a thin silver cloak. "Aren't you hot with that cloak on?" She asked curiously.  
  
"Um, no, not really." Thalia's cheeks rosied.   
  
Sophia shrugged and returned to her breakfast.  
  
"What's your name?" Thalia asked.  
  
"Sophia Black. And that's my sister Vieara."  
  
"Vieara?"  
  
"Yeah. It means faith in Bulgarian." Vieara cut in.  
  
"Oh, are you from Bulgaria?"  
  
The twins nodded.  
  
"I'm from Ireland. But we moved to Liverpool and I got accepted at Hogwarts."  
  
"I've always wanted to go to Ireland. I've heard that it's real pretty there, all green and misty. And I've heard they've got tons of interesting creatures there. Fairies and elves and stuff."  
  
Thalia looked away. "I suppose so."  
  
Vieara wondered what she'd said wrong.  
  
  
  
Slowly, Sophia became friends with Thalia. Best friends, actually, because Thalia was friends with everyone. Vieara, on the other hand, could never be seen without Angel. And both twins were often seen with the Weasly twins, playing jokes on everyone.  
  
  
  
"Why is your last name Ivanova, and Sophia's Black?" Ginny asked Vieara.  
  
"Because Ivanova is my mother's last name. I kept it. Sophia changed hers to Black when she found out who our father is. His last name is Black." Vieara answered, not quite looking at Ginny, with a note of finality in her tone. Ginny got the hint.  
  
  
  
"I wonder why Thalia blushed when I asked her if she wasn't hot in that cloak of hers." Sophia whispered to her sister the next day, in Defense Against The Dark Arts. Professor Lockhart was babbling (more like bragging)about the time he'd defeated a mummy in less than fifteen minutes.  
  
"Yeah. It's weird. And she looked uncomfortable when I mentioned Ireland and fairies and elves, didn't she?" Vieara added.  
  
"And she never takes off that cloak. Like, ever! She only takes it off after pulling the drapes around her bed." Sophia whispered.  
  
"Miss Black! Would you mind telling the class what exactly you're discussing?"  
  
"Oh, she was just telling me how she admires your courage. You know, facing a mummy without a wand and all." Vieara said, smiling sweetly at Lockhart. Sophia pretended to look embarrassed, lowering her eyes and smiling slightly.  
  
The class snickered, but Lockhart looked absolutely flattered. Vieara even dared to blow a bubble with her Droobles' Best Blowing Gum (in her favorite flavor, Bubbles'n Bats). And let me tell you, when Drooble says his gum blows best, he doesn't lie. Droobles' bubbles are as big as a human head. The good news is, that they don't pop often. The bad news is, that just then, it did.  
  
And trust me, a teacher, even one as self-centered as Lockhart, notices if one of his pupils' face is covered in sticky black bubble gum. And so does the class. It was howling with laughter.  
  
Vieara paused for a second, in thought. "well, I was going to pluck my eyebrows anyway." She announced, shrugging, with an impish grin. Then she raised her hand.  
  
"May I be excused? Some gum seems to have found its way to my face."  
  
"Don't" Thalia said with a smile. She took her wand off her desk, and pointed at Vieara's face. "Removius!"  
  
The gum unstuck from her skin and hairs painlessly, and curled itself into a small ball in midair. The class stared at both girls, amazed.  
  
"Thanks!" Vieara grinned. "I reallly have to learn that one!"  
  
"Detention, Miss Black. No chewing gum in class." Professor Lockhart declared, clearly irritated by Thalia's little spell.  
  
"Oh, Professor! But I was looking forward to reading your biography tonight! I'm so disappointed. I won't get a chance to find out about all of your heroic adventures." Vieara tried to save herself.  
  
Lockhart actually bought it! His face softened and he smiled a bit.  
  
"Well, well. No need to deny you of that pleasure." The class couldn't help but snicker again.  
  
  
  
On Halloween, Ms. Norris was found Petrified. The twins agreed not to use their Double Trouble Guide just yet. It was much too dangerous.  
  
Vieara's opinions of her father didn't alter. She hated him. For killing, for betraying, for . . . everything. Sophia, on the other hand, forgave him.  
  
She tried to see his reasoning. She couldn't, but she forgave him anyway. She wrote to him, in the back of the notebook often, and loved how he answered. Always gentle, at the same time a bit strict, but with a sense of humor and mischief. He often asked about Vieara and their mother. She never said much, just that they were too busy to write.  
  
He asked about Harry Potter too, once. Sophia was surprised.  
  
  
  
I don't really know him. I've only seen him in the halls and in the common room. He's always with my friend Ginny's brother Ron and a girl named Heather or Hermione or something. She's a real know-it-all. And Harry seems, a little, well, self absorbed.  
  
  
  
She wrote. She told him about Thalia and her secretive ways. How she never removed her cloak, how she avoided speaking about Ireland, how she was fascinated by creatures like banshees, mummies, and vampires. How she had some sort of secret meetings with someone. How she always wore a ton of glitter in her hair.  
  
And she told him about Ginny. How pale she was. Jumpy and nervous.  
  
  
  
A/N: Remember; IDEAS send to: smilerickybritney@yahoo.com 


	5. The Journal

Author's Note: This chapter is brand new. I'm going to reload ch.1-4 new edited versions very soon. hope ya like it, and dont forget to review. i'll return the favor!  
  
Unlike Sophia, Vieara had no interest whatsoever in what her father had to say. She completely ignored the front and back of the notebook, only reading the troublemaking guide in the middle. Most of their first year at Hogwarts was rather uneventful for them, but many strange things happened to others in the school. Ginny seemed to change a lot toward the end of the year, but by then it was discovered that Lord Voldemort's memory had possessed her and a giant basilisk had tried to kill her. But she had been rescued heroically by Harry Potter, and the whole matter was eventually forgotten as the twins returned to Bulgaria that summer.  
  
The first day of summer, the day they would leave Hogwarts, was warm and breezy. The windows of the dormitory had been left open overnight and warm winds were gently smoothing the girls' faces. Sophia yawned and with one swift kick threw the sheet off of herself. She propped herself up on her hands and looked around. Ginny was sleeping facing away from her, her red hair on fire from the rays of sun that were playing with it. Thalia's bed curtains were shut, as always, even in the warm weather. Vieara was lying in bed reading Troublemakers Throughout the Ages, munching on a chocolate frog.   
  
Sophia pulled her hair up messily and mouthed to Vieara. "Gimme a frog!" Vieara teasingly pretended not to understand for a moment, them threw over the sweet. Sophia pulled out the black notebook, and busily began writing to her father while Vieara returned to her book.   
  
Sirius? She wrote.  
  
Mm Hmm?  
  
It's the last day of our first year here. I feel so lonely. I don't want to go back to Bulgaria. Vieara will be having her friend Angel over, Ginny is going back to her home, Thalia is going to Ireland, and I'm afraid mum will be sad just like before we left. I'm afraid everything I say will upset her. And Vieara and I disagree on a really important thing, so I can't talk to her about it . . .   
  
She failed to mention that the subject of the disagreement was him, but as her writing disappeared, a lone tear slid down her face, and dropped onto the paper. Curiously it did not make it wet, but rather seemed to be absorbed just like the ink. There was a pause, then her father's handwriting slowly began to appear.  
  
Please don't cry, my Sophie, please. You know that I'll always be here for you, here in this notebook, forever. I know it isn't as good as a real father, in flesh and all, but I'm terribly sorry, I just can't change that. As for you mom, is she sad because of me? What do you need to talk to Vieara about? Tell me . . .  
  
I can't. I can't talk to you, and I can't figure out why mum didn't tell us about you a long time ago. I miss you. Can you miss something you've never really had?  
  
I suppose you can, because I miss you and Vieara and I've never even met you. Why didn't you mum tell you two about me?  
  
I suppose its because of what you did. . .  
  
What do you mean, what did I do?  
  
You don't know? Don't you remember? The murders?  
  
What murders?!  
  
Oh, I can't tell you, but how can you not know?  
  
I am only a memory, Sophie, the memory of Sirius Black at eighteen. I am locked here, in this notebook. I am not the Sirius Black of the present.  
  
Sophia gasped. So she wasn't speaking to her father, in prison, she was speaking to his memory, locked into a notebook at the age of eighteen. Locked innocent, before the murders, before the betrayal. She could not ask him why, why he'd done it all.   
  
"What?" Vieara had looked up at Sophia's gasp.   
  
"Noth-thing." Sophia stuttered. Her sister returned to her reading  
  
What has happened to me, Sophie?  
  
I can't really, I can't tell you. I'm sorry.  
  
But you know. Am I dead?  
  
No.  
  
Then Why did you grow up without me? Did I abandon you?  
  
No.  
  
Why Sophie? I need to know. Please . . .  
  
You went to prison before I was born.  
  
Prison? Whatever for? Was I framed? What did I do?  
  
I'm s-sorry. I can't. I can't.  
  
Sophia shut the notebook with a silent sob, licked her left index finger, which was half covered in chocolate, and announced in a shaky voice that she was going to take a shower. Vieara never looked up, and the others didn't stir. She let her tears loose in the shower, where they blended into the water and washed down the drain. She wasn't even sure why she was crying. Except she knew she just wanted to be normal, a normal girl with and mother who didn't burst into tears or rage at the first mention of their father. A girl whose father was not a mass murder in the scariest prison, a girl whose father hadn't betrayed his wife and best friends. And now, she couldn't even demand answers. Because the father she'd been talking to was a boy barely out of school, clueless to the terrible doom that lay before him.   
  
And then there was Vieara who refused to talk about him at all, and when she did, she simply called him a bastard, a traitor bastard who didn't love them, and therefore deserved nothing in return. But Sophia disagreed. There was something missing somewhere. If their father had been a Death Eater, loyal to Lord Voldemort, then why didn't he turn Harry over to Voldemort without James and Lily being present. And if he was loyal, why didn't he wait, and turn them, his own daughters over as well? Didn't Voldemort want all three of them, not just Harry?   
  
Sophia sighed, stopped the shower, toweled herself off and dressed in muggle clothes. She went back into the dormitory, where the rest of the girls had woken up, and fished in her trunk. When she found the bottle of nail polish, she went to the windowsill and painted her nails black. This was about as close as she got to feeling nostalgia for something she'd never had, something that should have belonged to her, but never did: her father, and with him, the name Black. She now had the name, but it didn't feel hers somehow, it felt like new shoes that were exactly what she wanted but hurt because they weren't broken in yet.  
  
Vieara and Ginny were happily singing "Magical Broomsticks" by the Weird Sisters at the top of their lungs, and Thalia was sprinkling loose glitter into her hair and over her eyelashes. Sophia tried to join in the laughter but choked instead, and went down the Great Hall for breakfast. She was early of course, and Dumbledore was the only person in the room. Sophia was about to take a seat when she heard his voice call her. "Miss Black?"  
  
"Yes, Professor?"  
  
"Come sit with me for a moment." She obeyed, and made her way to the high table.   
  
"Yes?" She asked , staring at her fingernails. He too looked at them. "Are you missing you father, I suspect?"  
  
"Well, I know I shouldn't be, because he is you know, a criminal and all, but I can't help it. I love him. He's my father. Can I miss him if I've never known him? Why do I, when I know what he did?"  
  
"Because you're human, Miss Black. And because he is your father. Some humans have the wonderful ability to forgive."  
  
"But I shouldn't. Vieara hates him, mum hates him, I should too. I should hate him for killing. But I don't."  
  
"You shouldn't hate him. Hate is a strong emotion, especially for a young girl to bear."  
  
"There's just something that doesn't . . . fit."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean, if he was a supporter of Voldemort's . . . " She blinked and tried to correct herself. "I mean, You Know Who."  
  
"Voldemort." Dumbledore said firmly.  
  
"If he was his supporter, why didn't he wait until we were born, and take Harry, I'm sure his parents would have trusted Sirius, and give all three of us to Voldemort? Why would he expose himself so early on when he could have cause so much more harm? It doesn't make any sense."  
  
"I'll admit, Miss Black, I've always wondered similar things. But I have no answers, and Sirius was sent to Azkaban with no trial. The only person who can answer is in no position to, I'm afraid."  
  
"Are visitors allowed in Azkaban?"  
  
"No. Not family members, anyway. Only certain Ministry Officials are allowed to visit. And few ever wish to. Azkaban is a rather unpleasant place, Miss Black."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"What keeps the prisoners locked and unable to escape are their own minds and fears rather than any bars. The prison is guarded by dementors, creatures who suck all happiness from people and leave them with the worst of their memories and emotions."  
  
"So even if I was to see him, and try to talk to him, he wouldn't be the same?"  
  
"That is correct. He'd have little in common with the man he once was."  
  
"Does he know about us?"  
  
"Yes. He was notified of your birth."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"I was not the one who notified him, but I heard that he uttered the words I want to see them."  
  
"What was he like?"  
  
"Mischievous. Big charmer. You have his cheekbones, Miss Black. And his intelligence."   
  
Students had begun to fill the room, stomachs rumbling, and teachers were beginning to take their places around Dumbledore. Sophia rose from Professor McGonagall's chair. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore."  
  
dont forget to be a helpful reader and review. even if its criticism, as long as it's constructive, i love it. and even flames are funnny sometimes. 


	6. Black

Author's Note: review, review, review!  
  
As the Hogwarts Express wove its way through the beautiful countryside, Sophia felt growing anger toward her mother, whom she was soon going to see. She stopped staring out the window and admired her nails for a moment. I wonder what mum will think of the colour, she thought. Then she angrily balled up her hands into fists and rebelliously retorted her own question: I don't care what she thinks. She's the one who hid him from me all this time. What, did she think that I wasn't going to notice that I didn't have a father?   
  
She pulled out a permanent marker and began doodling on her hand. In proud, enormous letters, she scribbled Daddy's Girl. She knew her mother would see it and know immediately why Sophia was angry. Or so she hoped. The last thing she wanted to do was explain. But she knew her mother would understand, she was anything but thick.  
  
Sophia pulled out her own notebook, and began writing poetry. She often did this now, especially when she was feeling particularly angry or vulnerable.   
  
Where were you   
  
When I was curled up in the corner  
  
Where were you   
  
When I was having fits of laughter over nothing  
  
Where were you   
  
When there was no one whom to wipe my tears  
  
Where were you   
  
When I was choking over ice cubes in my throat  
  
Where were you  
  
When I pretended not to need you  
  
It was about all of them. Every single one. Sirius, her mum, Vieara. She was seething, fueled more and more with her own self-pity. She had the oddest flash, a picture of shaggy dog swimming tiredly in dark choppy waters. Pain flashed through her temples.  
  
"Would you like some pumpkin pasties, dear?" The food cart. It snapped her out of her moment. She regained control of herself.   
  
"I'd like three Chocolate Frogs, please." She answered as pleasantly as she could muster. When the door of the cart slid closed, she sighed, suddenly exhausted, and unwrapped the foil wrapper of the chocolate. She broke off a piece and stuffed it into her mouth.   
  
If only she could escape her thoughts . . .   
  
Vieara glanced out of the window as the train neared London. She couldn't wait to be home. To wallow in the laziness of summer, to swim, talk to her old friends. She missed her mother much more than she wanted to admit even to herself.   
  
Their mum was waiting impatiently for the train to arrive at the platform. She was knitting her hands together and pulling them apart continuously in apprehension. She was sure Dumbledore had told them. But how much did they know now? Had they changed, now that they knew who their father was?   
  
She didn't have much time to muse. With a whistle, the train pulled in and children eagerly began to disembark. Vieara was among the first ones off, walking along with Ginny and Angel. They hugged each other goodbye, and she ran up to her mother, and gave her an enormous hug. Adriana breathed a sigh of relief. They weren't angry.   
  
But her relief crumbled in a split second when she saw Sophia grudgingly getting off the train. The girl looked depressing, and rather depressed. She was dressed entirely in black, a worn hooded sweatshirt on top, and black baggy cargo pants on the bottom. Her waves were loose and her new bangs hid eyes, which seemed to be lined in thick black eye makeup. Her mother's breath stopped for a moment. Was this her witty little cheerful daughter? No, it couldn't be. This girl was a stranger. She knew instantly that Sophia hadn't taken the news about their father as well as Vieara had. It was obvious that she was angry, but Adriana was unsure whom the anger was directed toward. Was it for her? Or Sirius?  
  
She felt a knot in her stomach tighten. She hadn't said his name in nearly ten years.   
  
"Sophia!" She hugged the angry looking girl, who stood tensely in her arms, but didn't respond.   
  
"Hullo." She said flatly, boring her charcoal rimmed eyes into her mother's with an accusing glare. Adriana pretended not to notice anything different, but involuntarily flinched at the site of the scribbles on Sophia's hand, which read Daddy's Girl proudly. Vieara shot an angry look in her sister's direction. She hated the way Sophia was upsetting their mother on purpose.   
  
"Let's go home," Vieara announced.   
  
"Well, actually I was thinking, why don't we stay at Diagon Alley for a couple of days. I have some shopping to do, and you two can explore the place while I'm running my errands." Vieara readily agreed, and Sophia shrugged.   
  
"Names?" Tom asked, quill poised to fill out the hotel registration form of the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
"Adriana, Vieara and Sophia Ivanova." Adriana dictated.  
  
"Black." Sophia corrected sharply. "Sophia Black." Tom changed the name, but her mother stared at her, with a mixture of anger and pain on her face. But Tom was already asking the next question.  
  
I've barely gotten here and already she's ignoring me. She's ignoring my "Black-ness", my attitude toward her. She acts as if I'm goin through some sort of phase that I'll just snap out of in a few days if maybe she ignores it.   
  
Sophia put down the quill and sighed. She had no plans to change, at least until she got some answers.   
  
The few days at the Leaky cauldron passed quickly, and before long, they were back in their beloved Bulgaria, Sophia seeking solitude in the open valleys and the river, Vieara becoming a fluttering social butterfly in the midst of her old friends. But a conflict was brewing and they could all feel it.   
  
War broke out on a cool summer Saturday morning.   
  
". . .get your stupid books off of my bed."  
  
"Oh, shut up. Big deal, there's a book on your bed. I know you're allergic to books and all . . . but geez." Adriana tried to ignore the fight, hoping it would blow over soon.  
  
"I am when they belong to filthy traitors!" There was a thud on the floor, as if Vieara had swept the books off her bed and onto the floor.  
  
"Don't you dare throw my stuff. And you're the traitor here. He's OUR FATHER! How could you just ignore his existence?!"  
  
"HE"S NOT A FATHER HE'S A MURDERING BASTARD!"  
  
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL HIM A BASTARD, YOU LITTLE PERKY BITCH." It was obvious that this particular fight was not going to blow over easily. Their mum got up, and started to climb the stairs to their rooms.  
  
"Perky?! At least I don't walk around mourning some ASSHOLE TRAITOR WHO NEVER CARED ABOUT US!"  
  
"Fuck you!"   
  
Adriana opened the door.  
  
"Great comeback." Vieara was rolling her eyes, hands on her hips. Sophia was clutching three books tenderly, eyes flashing dangerously at her sister.   
  
"Whoa. You two. Cut the swearing, first of all. We are NOT the Wizbournes. What exactly is the problem?"  
  
"The problem is you all act like he never existed." Sophia yelled.  
  
"She's a traitor, that's the problem." Vieara growled at the same time.  
  
Adriana sighed. "This he, is your father isn't it?"   
  
Sophia nodded and Vieara flashed another dangerous look in her direction.   
  
"I can't believe you kept something like that from us. Why didn't you tell me who he was? You don't think I deserve to know?" Sophia sank into a cross-legged position on the floor. Adriana too sat on the floor, and looked up at her other daughter. "Vieara, can you leave us alone for a few minutes?"  
  
Vieara looked pained to leave, but nonetheless abandoned the room, slamming the door behind herself.  
  
"Why?" Sophia repeated softly.  
  
"Look, Sophia it's hard for me to talk about him even now. "  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Don't you understand? He wasn't only a Death Eater, he didn't only betray Lily and James, he betrayed me. And you. I had no idea who he was. What he was."  
  
"He was my father. He still is my father."  
  
"No, he isn't. He never was. He never saw you being born, he never took care of you."  
  
"He loves me."  
  
"How do you know? He never loved any of us. Not Lily, not James, not me, not you. If he had he wouldn't have betrayed us."  
  
"He loves me. I know it." She insisted.  
  
"I hate to break your heart, Sophia, but he never knew you, and he never wanted to, judging by his actions."  
  
"Why did you keep him a secret?"  
  
"How do you tell a couple of little girls that their father is a traitor, a murder in the darkest and scariest of prisons? Tell me."  
  
"He's not a traitor. I love him. And I'm not a little girl. Why don't you ask Dumbledore. He did it. He told us."  
  
"I knew he would."  
  
"Then why didn't you tell us yourself? I didn't even know his name!"  
  
'And now that you do? How does it change anything?"  
  
"It changes me. It changes who I am. I am Sophia Black."  
  
"No, you aren't. You were raised Sophia Ivanova, and you are Sophia Ivanova."  
  
"I'm not. I'm different in case you haven't noticed, and I have a new identity now. I used to be Sophia Ivanova, a little girl shielded from her past, from secrets. But I'm Sophia Black now, a girl whose past is a part of her, who knows what's been hidden from her all theses years, and she isn't happy about it."  
  
"It's not your past, it's my past and his past, but not yours."  
  
"It is mine, because I am him, and I am you." She brushed her long bangs from her eyes. "Besides HE has a NAME. Sirius."  
  
"He doesn't deserve anything. Not even a name."  
  
"He deserves a lot more than that. He deserves to know that at least one person from his family hasn't abandoned him." She said fiercely.   
  
"You don't get it do you? We didn't abandon him, he abandoned us!"   
  
Sophia refused to answer. She hugged her knees instead, and played with the tips of her hair.  
  
A few weeks later, Sophia was out in a valley, lying on her stomach drawing, when she spotted an enormous shaggy dog peeking out at her from behind the trees on the edge of the valley. It looked tired and worn, but absorbed in her. She had a feeling she'd seen it somewhere before. She didn't know where.   
  
"Hey Pooch, C'mere doggy, doggy." She stretched a hand in its direction. The dog looked startled at the attention but trotted over to her cautiously.   
  
"Hey there, boy. Are you a boy?" She peeked. "Yep. Boy."  
  
She stretched out her hand and touched its muzzle. It was wet. It sniffed her hand, then licked it. She laughed.  
  
"So, you're friendly then, eh?" The dog barked happily. She stroked its matted fur. Then she put her arms around its hungry body. "I like you. I think I'm going to keep you. " The dog licked her cheek at the words, making her laugh again.  
  
"Wow. You are very loveable, huh?" Almost as if it understood her, the dog barked, then continued licking her face. "But we have got to get you a bath first, what do you think?"   
  
The dog wagged its tail happily as it waited for her to gather her art supplies.   
  
"So what am I going to name you? How about . . . Char? You know, like Charcoal. 'cause you're so black. I'm Black too. My name's Sophie Black. My dad is Sirius Black. He's in Azkaban." The dog poised it ears and cocked its head up at her. She stopped, glad for someone to talk to, someone who'd listen and not look angry or hurt at the mention of her father. "He went there before I was born, and I've never seen him. I talk to him though."  
  
The dog barked, as if surprised. She sank into the grass, facing the dog. "He left me this notebook, and his memory is locked in it, so I get to talk to him. I want to ask him all these questions, you see, but he can't answer any of them.   
  
The dog licked her fingers comfortingly, and she continued slowly. "Everyone believes he's this murderer, and I know I'm supposed to believe it too, I mean there's all this evidence, but something in there just isn't right, you know? He's supposed to have killed all these people, betrayed Harry's parents, but why didn't he kill us? Mum, and me and Vieara?" The dog was looking at her sympathetically and a little excitedly, wagging its tail. She shook her head. Sympathetically? Dogs can't sympathize, she scolded herself. She stared into its pale eyes, and she could have sworn she heard it think: Don't worry, I'm here.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, and told herself she was hallucinating from hunger, then got up once again and headed for home, the dog at her heels. 


End file.
